Santa Barbara, CA –“The consequences of our drought display the lack of foresight our current politicians possess and how little they have invested into our District’s infrastructure,” states Justin Fareed, a 2016 Congressional candidate in California’s 24th district.

When comparing our infrastructure to competing nations such as South Korea, Germany and Spain, over the past decade, the United States has fallen measurably in ranking. It is sad to note that our ranking has dropped to 25th worldwide.

On a more micro level, from 2003 to 2014, as a result of an approximate nine percent decrease in real public spending on materials needed to build and maintain roads, our water infrastructure, and other necessities, California’s own infrastructure continues to suffer greatly. To make matters worse, only 43 percent of real public spending on these materials went to advancements in transportation and water infrastructure, both of which are major issues in California. This can no longer be ignored or tolerated.

In his statement, Justin writes,

“Roads are cracking, bridges are crumbling and we don’t have the necessary infrastructure in place for water demands in dry years. Conservation is one of many efforts, but increasing fees and fining taxpayers are punishments, not remedies. It is imperative that we prioritize investing in our country’s future by dredging in dry years, building additional tertiary reservoirs, removing barriers for new technologies for desalination, and increasing water treatment facilities.”